The Armenian language is vibrant and it is alive. The Armenian Alphabet has been continously used for more than 1500 years as it was first created.
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language, and it is the largest group of Indo-European speakers in Caucasia and it is an independent branch of the Indo-European family. It is considered an extremely precise language. The Armenian language is believed to have originated in present day western Turkey and spread west into Europe and east as far as India by 1000 B.C. The speakers think it rich and beautiful.
Features of the Armenian Alphabet are
Written horizontaly from left to right.
Armenian Alphabet consists of 38 letters.
There are a few minor differences in the pronunciation in Eastern and Western Dialects.
The Armenian alphabet was developed after the official adoption of Christianity by King Tiridates III in 301 A.D.
The historians estimate that about 404 A.D., an Armenian cleric by the name of Mesrob Mashdotz 361-440 A.D. invented the Armenian alphabet.
St. Mesrob was born in the year 361 in the village of Hatzegatz in the province of Daron.
St. Mesrob Mashdotz was a celibate Priest. With the blessings of Sahag Catholicos and the support of King Vramshabouh he invented the 36 letters of the Armenian alphabet in 404 A.D. Two more letters were added at a later date. He went from village to village listening to the sounds of the spoken languages and based the Armenian letters according to those sounds. It is also believed the Assyrian script possibly influenced St. Mesrob Mashdotz to invent the Armenian alphabet.
St. Mesrob Mashdotz died in the year 440 A.D. and he is buried in the village of Oshagan in Armenia.
The Armenian language is vibrant and it is alive. The Armenian Alphabet has been continously used for more than 1500 years as it was first created.
